Management and Planning Strategy in Public Universities of Rivers States, Nigeria: Self-leadership for Performance

This study examined the role of self-leadership as a strategic tool for enhancing management and planning in public universities, focusing on institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria. The research is driven by the need to address persistent challenges in university management, such as inadequate strategic planning, inefficient resource allocation, and leadership deficiencies. The study employed a descriptive survey design to investigate self-leadership as a management and planning strategy for enhanced public universities in Rivers State, Nigeria. The study targeted all the leadership personnel and staff across public institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria. The sample consisted of senior leadership personnel like deans, head of departments, directors, and senior supervisors within public universities who are responsible for making decisions, setting policies, and leading teams. Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample size from staff in public universities in Rivers State. Data were collected using the researchers designed questionnaire titled “Self-Leadership as a Management and Planning Strategy Questionnaire (SLMPSQ)”, which comprised 20 items. The instrument's reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, which yielded a reliability index of .819. Descriptive statistics (percentages, mean, and standard deviation) were employed to analyze respondents’ answers to the research questions. Hypotheses were tested using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of p < .05. The findings indicated that self-leadership as a management and planning strategy of institutional leaders do not significantly contribute to the effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria. The study concluded that factors that foster self-leadership as a management and planning strategy in Nigerian public universities is crucial for enhanced responsibility, and their overall effectiveness. Among its recommendations is the urgent development and implementation of structured leadership development programs tailored to the needs of Nigeria's public universities, which emphasize principles such as responsibility, self-reflection, building resilience, and positive self-talk leadership.